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S A M P L E F U N D R A I S I N G P L A N

Compiled by: Kirsten Bullock, CFRE, MBA

GrowingYourDonors.com

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ABC Ministries - 2003 Fund Raising Plan

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................................ 1

History .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Strategic Focus and Plan ....................................................................................................................................................... 2

Situation Analysis .................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Fund Raising Program ........................................................................................................................................................... 5

Supporting Materials.............................................................................................................................................................. 8

Income Projections ............................................................................................................................................................ 8

Possible Annual Calendar of Contacts ........................................................................................................................ 8

Possible Recognition Societies ...................................................................................................................................... 9

ADDENDUMS (NOT INCLUDED)

Tab 1: Financial History

Tab 2: Projections

Tab 3: Donor Listing

Tab 4: Sample Forms

Tab 5: Case Statement

Tab 6: Contact Info / Guide To Donor Records

Tab 7: Foundation/Corporate Giving History

Tab 8: Communications Information

© 2011 GrowingYourDonors.com – All Rights Reserved 1 of 9

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ABC Ministries has a long tradition of serving homeless youth who find themselves in AnyTown and SomeTown. These youth are predominantly from the local community. The mission of all ABC Ministries locations is to serve kids with absolute respect and unconditional love. Our Principles include: immediacy, sanctuary, value communication, structure, and choice. The Development office is committed to provide support for this mission.

Many donors share in the vision of providing care to homeless youth. The large direct mail program has done an excellent job of branding the organization as a leader in youth services. In the State area, many ties exist with local businesses and churches. Direct mail has been the main source of funding for ABC Ministries. The opportunity to upgrade current donors through personal contact is enormous. The challenge will be (a) relaying the importance of their increasing their gift and (b) growing from an impersonal direct mail relationship to that of a face-to-face friendship.

Focus this year will be spent on upgrading current donors through the use of a special campaign to provide enhanced services to youth. Specific projects to be enhanced with increased gifts should ideally be identified by program staff. This special campaign will include various contacts such as a questionnaire, an annual report, hand written thank you notes, phone calls, and in-person visits.

Other ongoing activities for the year will be trying to increase foundation giving, continuing developing a local Advisory Council, participating in some local community events, sending a letter to prospects for planned giving, and increasing participation in the yearly event for youth.


HISTORY

Opened in AnyTown in 1985 and expanded to SomeTown in 1995, we currently reach more than _____ kids a day on the streets, in crisis shelters, transitional housing projects, and a community service center in SomeTown, making ABC Ministries the single, private agency that provides direct care to the greatest number of runaway and homeless youth in the State.

ABC Ministries is part of an international organization that was incorporated in 1972, formalizing a ministry to street kids by a small group of volunteers with a simple vision: runaway and homeless kids should not be alone and on the street, hungry and dirty, sleeping in alleys and abandoned buildings, prey to danger and exploitation.

Now, ABC Ministries’s mission is in 11 states plus 5 countries. In addition to crisis care, programs include health care, education, employment, mother/child, transitional living, street outreach, national hotline, and community based services.

STRATEGIC FOCUS AND PLAN

MISSION:

To equip and empower youth to lead fulfilling lives.

GOALS:

The goal for the Development Office is to support the programs within the Strategic Plan developed by the Board of Directors of ABC Ministries. This includes:

increasing major giving by 25%

increasing foundation / corporate giving by 20%

add 30 members to the Planned Giving Society

SITUATION ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS:

A clear and compelling mission which addresses a strongly felt need

A strongly shared ideology of care and an effective continuum of care.

Strong name recognition.


A recognized leader in working with at-risk youth.

A dedicated, committed, and spiritually motivated staff of professionals and volunteers.

Strong branding.

A proven track record to adjust and remake the agency to meet challenges.

Commitment to and experience with advocacy. Increasing collaboration with state and local organizations to strengthen advocacy efforts.

Program staff SomeTown are very interested in and excited about fundraising opportunities and about being involved in the process

Existing base of volunteers

Direct mail program

Ties in the community with churches and individuals

Program has received international recognition

Collaborative ties exist with other local organizations

WEAKNESSES:

A need to diversify fundraising further.

A high staff turnover rate at the direct service level.

A need to systemize sharing information and expertise.

Community awareness is limited

With the newness of the program and staff, some volunteers may have come and either not felt useful or felt taken advantage of.

Disconnectedness between SomeTown and AnyTown

Vision somewhat stifled by recent financial constraints

For SomeTown supporters, can be difficult to see the connection of their gifts to the immediate area

ORGANIZATION ANALYSIS

The current development plan is very dependent on (a) direct mail with a donor database that is aging; (b) end of year stock gifts; and (c) bequests generated by the former development director. In the past year, philanthropic revenue has decreased by 11%. In the same time period, overall donations to nonprofit organizations have remained stable or have experienced slight growth. This evidences the need to change our approach to raising funds.

ABC Ministries has a very loyal donor base. If asked in the appropriate manner, it is very likely that several of these donors will be very interested in supporting programs offered at a higher dollar level. The challenge will be relaying that need.


DONOR ANALYSIS

There are an estimated 77,000 individuals who have given gifts to ABC Ministries within the past three years. Of those, nearly 18,500 have made a contribution in excess of $50. Over 2,000 have given over 100 individual gifts. We know the age of about 39% of our donors. Of these, our average donor age is 73. 34% of our donors started giving before 1991.

A recent detailed analysis of donors identified 1,596 who have income producing assets of $1 million or more and fall into either a high PRIZM category or have a significant history of supporting the agency (683 have given $2,500 or more in their lifetime). Overall in the database, 2,731 donors have cumulative giving of $2,500 of higher. One individual has given in excess of $1,000,000.

The typical donor profile outlined about three years ago was female, 55 years and older, Catholic, making three donations each year totaling about $90. Major givers tended to be younger and gave larger gifts less frequently.

The majority of the almost 500 donors who will be part of the Phase I campaign to enhance services have given a gift to ABC Ministries of $1,000 or higher. There are about 100 who have, according to some additional research, the potential to give gifts at the $25,000 plus level. In addition, there are about 140 at the $10,000 – 24,999 level.

There is a six step cycle to follow in asking for major gifts:

1. Introduce

2. Identify (research)

3. Inform (determine interest)

4. Involve (cultivate)

5. Ask for Investment (solicit)

6. Stewardship (thank you / inform how their gift helped)

The model outlined below takes this into account.


FUND RAISING PROGRAM

Fundraising is… The right person asking the right prospect for the right gift for the right program at the right time in the right way.

Goals Objectives Activities Person Responsible

1. Complete “readiness” activities

1a. Crystallize Agency Vision “You can’t raise money for an organization that is unwilling to make a commitment to greatness.” - Jerold Panas

- Serve kids - Increase quality and depth of programs

(Champ, Mom’s and Babies – more structured programs in SomeTown, Etc.)

- Add Space - Expand into other areas as support grows

and as needs are defined

1b. Develop Case Statement

- review first draft - make necessary changes / revisions

1c. Complete policies and procedures for development office

- Including, but not limited to moves management, gift acceptance policies, donor recognition levels, etc.

1e. Build SomeTown Advisory Council

- determine goals - recruit new members

1f. Create a culture of fundraising

- complete survey of ‘fundraising readiness’ - identify areas indicating improvement

needed - identify areas where improvement is

feasible and practical - make improvements

2. Increase awareness

2a. Annual Youth Event - find out date - recruit volunteer committee - identify “team leaders” for each task

2b. Increase media attention

- press releases (about 1 per month?)

2c. Offer tours - offer 2 standing tours each month. Perhaps have times listed in local papers?

2d. Provide speakers for the community

- develop a simple presentation that “anyone” can be trained to do

- recruit volunteer speakers - train volunteer speakers - come up with places for people to speak

2e. Other Community Involvement by DD

- Leadership SomeTown Alumni - Local Chamber of Commerce


3. Increase connectedness (and donations) with current donors

3a. Newsletter Sent Electronically (Mar, Aug & Nov)

Sections to Include - kid story - Workplace Giving Update - SomeTown article - AnyTown Article - ED letter - donor recognition

3b. Web Site - iPurpose – provide up-to-date information on-line at a low cost and easy to update

- on-line giving with PledgeFirst (America’s Charities product)

3c. Prayer E-mail - include requests from staff and kids - include other limited agency updates

3d. Annual Regional Receptions

List locations here

3e. Annual Youth Event - involve as many churches as possible - invite attendees to point of entry events

4. Increase Major Giving

4a. Develop Donor Recognition Program

- recognition walls - listing in quarterly newsletter - donor appreciation item – key tags - special Christmas thank-you?

4b. Identify Top Prospects for Major Gifts

- complete additional research $25,000+ prospects 100 $10,000-24,999 prospects 140

4c. Assign prospects to main point of contact persons

- Development Director - Executive Director - Board Members - Advisory Council Members - Other staff members?

4d. Design moves plans for each donor (about 12 ‘moves’ annually with each donor)

- calls (3-4) - letters (3-4) - visits (1-2) - e-mails (2-6) - mail annual report - mail survey (get e-mail address, # of

appeals, recognition to provide inspiration for others, sharing their name, opt-in for prayer e-mail)

- mail key tags

5. Increase Planned Giving

5a. Bi-annual planned giving mailing

5b. Follow-up visits to interested parties


6. Foundation Giving

6a. Identify programs

6b. Identify foundations 6c. Contact Foundations

– letters of inquiry

7. Other Giving 7a. Corporate Giving - sell tickets for event - sell sponsorships for Youth Event

7b. Employee Giving - write letter and forms - distribute to staff members - distribute to new staff members

7c. Workplace Giving Work with America’s Charities - speaking engagements - “fairs”

7d. In-kind gift campaigns

- ongoing needs (mostly hygiene) - Christmas needs

7e. Church Giving - Annual Youth Event - Hygiene Supply Drives

7f. Board Giving 8. Donor

Acquisition 8a. Volunteers


SUPPORTING MATERIALS

INCOME PROJECTIONS

Projected Projected Projected Projected

July - June 02 July - June 03 July - June 04 July - Jun 05

Top Prospects (466) 820,000 1,025,000 1,230,000 1,476,000

Corps, Founds, Orgs 315,000 326,000 359,000 395,000

Special Events 410,000 285,000 327,750 376,913

Workplace Giving 10,000 20,000 25,000 30,000

Sub Total 1,545,000 1,636,000 1,916,750 2,247,913

POSSIBLE ANNUAL CALENDAR OF CONTACTS

June Mail Annual Report

July Questionnaire

August Newsletter

September Mail Recognition Item

October Visits / Calls

November Newsletter

December Annual Youth Event

January Visits / Calls

February Visits / Calls

March Newsletter

April Visits / Calls

May Visits / Calls


POSSIBLE RECOGNITION SOCIETIES

Friend $1,000-2,499

Supporting Friend $2,500-4,999

Sustaining Friend $5,000-9,999

Distinguished Friend $ 10,000-24,999

Life Friend $25,000+

To add later:

Life Patron $50,000-99,999

Life Benefactor $100,000-249,000

Humanitarian $250,000-499,999

Founders Club $500,000-999,999

Wings of the Dove $1 million+

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